Injured As Ladybug
by ShadowedHeavens
Summary: REWRITE! When out fighting another akuma, Ladybug gains a severe injury. How far is Marinette willing to go to hide it from her friends? And how will it endanger her identity? (Still no good at summaries!:P - Ps. Reveal-fic)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok, so… hi. As you can see, I have decided to edit, add to, and repost this story,** **Injured as Ladybug** **. I'm sorry I took so long to get back to this. Hopefully, it has improved a little, although I still feel it is quite rushed. Oh, well!**

 **Happy reading, people, and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.**

I raised the sceptre and snapped it cleanly over my knee. An akuma flapped out of it.

"No more evil-doing for you little akuma. Time to de-evilize!" I yelled. I allowed myself a satisfactory smile as I swiftly rolled my yo-yo along the ground with a smooth, practised tug. My unusual weapon snatched up the little akuma.

"Gotcha!"

Then a flash of white light shone from the closed yo-yo, and then a white butterfly fluttered out.

"Bye-bye, little butterfly," I said softly, studying it, marvelling at how innocent it looked.

I watched it as it flew happily upwards until it was nothing but a dot in the vast, blue sky. I threw my Lucky Charm in the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" I cried. Magic filled the air in the form of red and black ladybugs, restoring everything to how it was before. Buildings repaired themselves, ice covering the lake disappeared, flowers bloomed again. It actually started to look like summer. I smiled as I saw the man getting de-akumatized in a burst of purple bubbles. He would be fine, but his memory of the last few hours would be a little foggy.

Ever since I had become Ladybug and discovered Hawk-Moth, my work was cut out for me. I had to keep my identity a secret, as did my partner, Cat Noir. Juggling around being Marinette and being one of the city's superheroes was hard. I didn't know who Cat was, and he didn't know who I was. That was just how it was, and to be honest, I didn't want him to know who I was, because maybe then he would stop flirting with me and maybe then things would become really awkward and maybe then –

Suddenly, hands covered my eyes from behind.

"Guess who?" a voice murmured.

"Cat Noir, I seriously think your attitude gets more insufferable every day," I replied, pushing him away.

"I think you mean my cat-itude."

I groaned. "Your puns too, though that seems absolutely impossible," I added under my breath, but with his cat hearing, he caught it.

"Hey!" he pouted and I laughed.

"Well, it's true and you know it."

I offered him my fist and he bumped it with his own.

"Pound it!" We grinned. Another akuma purified, another citizen saved, another complete disaster prevented. Cat playfully slung an arm around my shoulders.

Normally, I would have pushed it off, but for some reason, I felt content, so I let it remain there. Just this once.

"Come on, little kitty, let's go home," I said and we headed towards the double doors of the president's hotel together.

"Ok, yours or mine?" he teased.

"Cat Noir!"

That feeling of elation vanished as soon as we stepped outside, where relieved citizens and journalists bombarded us with questions – mainly asking us about our relationship and if we were together. I saw at least ten cameras flashing away, catching the way Cat's arm was slung around me casually. With a startled cry, I yanked myself out of Cat's grip before glaring at him as he burst out laughing.

"You did that on purpose!" I accused, trying to conceal the smile that was tugging on my lips. "You knew they were outside!"

It only made him laugh harder. My best friend, Alya seized the chance to thrust her phone in my face, recording the conversation for her 'Ladyblog' – Paris' most read blog about me.

"Ladybug! Over here! Are you and Cat Noir together yet?"

I recoiled immediately. "No!"

Cat laughed and faked hurt. "You don't have to make it sound like the worst idea in the universe, Milady!" Then he pushed me out of the way. He winked at Alya and said – loud and clear for the whole world to hear, "Don't worry, I'm working on it!"

That traitor! I knew arguing with him was going to be pointless, so I just rolled my eyes but didn't push the matter. Cat's eyes lit up but before he could make another one of his awful – or should I say paw-ful – jokes, I ran forwards lightly, ready to disappear.

"Bug ou –"

Suddenly, I screamed as an intense pain seared across my side. I collapsed, shaking and clapped a hand over the wound. Oops. I had forgotten about that, but now that the adrenaline of the attack was wearing off, it felt like a white-hot poker was being pressed firmly against my side. There were muffled exclamations all around me and cameras were busily snapping away. I heard the sound of someone – Alya? – making a phone call. Everything was unclear and it was as if I was looking through a fog.

"Ladybug!" A frantic voice sliced through the mist like a knife. It was Cat Noir. I feebly reached towards the direction of his voice, seeking familiarity in the haze of red.

"Cat, get me out of here," I wheezed, "I'm nearly out of time and someone's called an ambulance." I choked back another cry as the pain intensified. I could tell that Cat was battling with his emotions.

"Get me out," I repeated softly. A steely look fixed in his eyes and he nodded. Tears of pain sprang to my own eyes as he slid one arm gently under my knees and another under my back and sprinted away, unable to use his baton because he had no free hands. Concerned clamours rose behind us, shouting at us to wait for an ambulance.

"Ladybug has to keep her identity a secret," Cat Noir yelled back, worry evident in his voice and ignored the rest of their protests. I smiled despite the pain: Cat really was a good partner.

Dizziness washed over me and I closed my eyes, letting my head rest wearily against Cat's shoulder. In response, I felt him clutch me tighter as if he could never bear to let me go.

"Come on, Milady, hang on," he murmured desperately. My earrings beeped loudly, indicating I only had three minutes left before I detransformed.

"Cat. Stop," I gasped. Blades of grass tickled my face as Cat lowered me gently onto a soft, springy surface. Without a warning, warm, gloved hands pressed into mine, making my eyes snap open and I jerked away in shock before gasping out loud at the agony the movement caused.

"Milady, are you ok? No, stupid question. Oh, this is all my fault. If I had been more careful, you wouldn't be hurt, but you were hurt while I was locked up and unable to assist you in –"

"Cat!" I cut him off weakly, "You have to go. You can't see me in my civilian form!"

His emerald eyes snapped to mine. "Do you think I really care about that right now, Ladybug? You're hurt and I have to take care of you or – or…" Cat sounded close to tears. Reaching up, I tenderly brushed his face and he leaned into my touch.

"I just can't bear to see you like this – in so much agony," he whispered hoarsely. My earrings beeped, startling us both. Thirty seconds left.

"Cat, go. Now!" I gasped.

"I don't care anymore," he shot back stubbornly.

"Well, I do." I softened my voice, "For me?"

Cat hesitated. I could tell I was winning him over.

"Please?" I breathed, hating how weak I had become.

He nodded briefly, seized his baton with hands covered in my blood and vaulted over the tall bush that concealed me. Then, I was alone. I slumped back onto the grass in relief before letting out a short scream as fire shot up my side. Just then, the transformation melted away – Ladybug disappeared and a very dishevelled Marinette took her place. A worn-out kwami shot out of my earrings and collapsed on the grass beside me, shaking with exhaustion.

"Tikki," I panted in concern, "Come on, I'll get you home." With newfound strength, I strenuously heaved myself up, managing not to scream. I looked around and discovered I was in the local park, not far from my home, the bakery. Taking another look at the shivering kwami in my cupped hands, I clamped my mouth shut determinedly set off, every step laced with almost unbearable pain. Halfway home, I suddenly had a terrifying thought; how on earth was I going to explain all the blood to maman and papa?

Beep beep.

I immediately jolted awake. Was it another akuma attack? My earrings? I glanced to my left and relaxed. Just my phone. I picked the call up.

"Hello?" I yawned.

"Girl, it's your bestie! Wake up!" a voice shouted into my ear.

" _AHHHHH!_ " I jerked the phone away from my ear, "Not so loud!"

"Come on, Marinette. Adrien's just arrived," Alya said in a singsong voice. Ok, now I was definitely awake.

"I'll be there soon," I promised, "Just give me 20 minutes."

I swung my legs out of bed and –

Screamed, loud enough for my parents to hear and dropped my phone with a noisy clatter. Last night, I had come home to see a note lying on the table, saying that they had gone out to do a bit of late-night shopping, which was lucky for me – I couldn't find a single excuse to explain why my t-shirt was soaked with blood. After that, I went into my room, locked the hatch which served as my door and hunted wearily for a chocolate-chip cookie for Tikki. Then, I promptly collapsed on my bed and fell asleep, without even bothering to change.

The pain that raced up my side dulled to a continuous throb. Alya was shrieking frantically from my phone. I managed to pick it up and gasp out a quick "I'm fine, I'll see you at school." before hanging up on her. Tikki whizzed around me nervously.

"Marinette, you've got to go see Master Fu!" she piped anxiously, "That wound might get infected!"

"Yeah, you're right, Tikki," I agreed, "But I've got school now. Maybe afterwards."

I slowly dressed the wound to the best of my ability, changed into fresh clothes and cleaned myself up a little bit before reaching for the little pink bag that my precious kwami hid in during the day. I found that it was, too, encrusted in blood.

"Oh, my bag's completely ruined," I groaned in dismay, before wincing, "Sorry, Tikki, looks like you'll have to stay at home today."

"I'll be fine, Marinette. It's you I worry about."

I smiled at my friend's concern. "I'll be fine, too. There are cookies in the jar. Bye, Tikki," I said and held in a scream as I shifted my weight onto my left leg. I'll survive today, I thought grimly. Somehow.

*Time Skip...*

Alya was already waiting for me on the steps. As soon as she caught sight of me, she jumped up and launched herself at me, tackling me with a hug. I inhaled sharply and clamped a hand over my mouth as I gingerly returned the gesture. Alya pulled back and peered at me.

"You're acting a little weird today, girl, and you've just gone pale. Are you sure you're alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired. I was working on a design last night and stayed up too late," I said. "Anyway, how's the Ladyblog?" I asked, hoping to distract her. It worked. She started relaying everything that had happened at last night's crisis as we walked to class and sat down.

"I'm worried for Ladybug, Marinette," she confessed.

I forced myself to keep breathing and keep my voice light. "Yeah? How so?"

"She got injured last night. There was blood everywhere! And she missed the patrol at 6 am," Alya said, her voice on the edge of hysterics, "What if she's not okay? What if she's –"

I opened my mouth to interrupt, but another voice beat me to it.

"Hey, Alya, Marinette."

My heart almost stopped beating as the one and only Adrien Agreste flashed me a disarming smile. What I didn't catch were the bags under his eyes, concealed by make-up, and the worry lining his entire body. My eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"H-hi!" I managed to reply. Adrien sat down at his desk and turned around.

"So what are you talking about?"

Alya immediately launched into a very precise account of what happened last night, finishing with her concerns.

"Hey, Alya, I'm sure Ladybug will be okay," I reassured her.

"How would you know? You didn't see her – she was almost screaming and Cat Noir literally had to carry her away!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Adrien shift uncomfortably.

"Hey, come to think of it," she continued without missing a beat, "you're not ever there when Ladybug and Cat Noir save the day. I know you aren't scared of the akumas but I never see you at the scene."

I froze, barely daring to breathe before Alya turned to Adrien. "And neither are you."

I also turned to him. He was one of the only people in the class who hadn't been akumatized yet. Cat sounded and acted like he was my age, but I had never considered that he might be in my class at my school. I mean, Cat could be from any school is all of Paris! But, was it possible… could it be? Was Adrien the famous Cat Noir? They both had the same blonde hair, same mesmerising emerald eyes, the same lean but muscled build. This is stupid, I chided myself. Of course Adrien wasn't Cat. Adrien was quiet and polite, while Cat was bold and cocky, and threw his bad cat puns everywhere. What Adrien said next confirmed it.

"My bodyguard, the Gorilla, is always outside the school, so if there is any sign of an akuma attack, he takes me to a safe place until it is safe to come out," he explained, then sighed wistfully. "I really want to see Ladybug in action though."

Alya and Adrien started chatting about the last few akuma attacks while I puzzled over his explanation. Something was off. It was just too perfect, too well rehearsed… as if it was prepared in advance. My bluebell-coloured eyes widened as a thought struck me.

As if Adrien had a secret to hide.

Third person P.O.V.

Class started the next minute, so all chatter quieted down as Mme. Bustier entered the classroom. She quickly took the register and then turned to the class in poorly-concealed excitement.

"Ok, class, settle down now! For this term's new project, you will be researching Paris' superheroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir! The success criteria are here." She waved a hand at the board. "I expect you to, in pairs, present your work to the class in two days' time." A series of loud protests were heard and the teacher held up a hand. "Now, I know this is not a very long time, but you will not be receiving any other homework in these next two days." She beamed. "And to make this a little easier for you, I will allow you to choose your own partner, but it has to be someone you work well with. I'm giving you the rest of this lesson to work out how you and your partner are going to organise this. Good luck!"

And with those words, Mme. Bustier turned away from the class and proceeded to sit down at her desk and bury her nose in a book.

Silence.

Then, the classroom exploded – not literally, of course. It was just the fact that Marinette couldn't hear herself think in all the shouting, screaming and "Let's work together!" s.

When all the confusion finally died down a little, she turned to Alya with a smile and opened her mouth to ask –

But a blushing Alya was already happily chatting away with Nino. Marinette grinned exasperatedly as she watched the two of them, forgetting her own dilemma for a moment – when were they going to realise that they were perfect for each other?

She observed the rest of the class. If Chloe was working with Sabrina, Nino with Alya, Mylene with Ivan, Alix with Nathaniel (Marinette wondered briefly how that had happened), Rose with Juleka and Kim with Max, then the only person left without a partner was…

"Hi." Adrien Agreste grinned up at her, propping his head up, with his elbow on her desk. Adorkably, might she add. "Wanna be partners?"

Marinette groaned internally – normally, she would be ecstatic, but today, she just knew she was going to make a fool of herself in front of her major crush due to her… minor injury.

She adopted a falsely bright tone. "Yeah, sure." Inside, she was dreading the next couple of days and she even forgot to stutter. Making herself look like an idiot in front of her crush? Nothing out of the ordinary, but whoopee. Not.

What she didn't see, was the hurt that flashed across Adrien's face as he easily saw through her mask. And misinterpreted her meaning.

All too soon for Marinette, the final bell had rung, signifying the end of school.

"We can work at my place if you want?" Adrien offered quietly with a smile. "Father and Natalie left town early this morning for some sort of meeting – I'm glad I wasn't forced to go," he laughed, scrutinizing his friend closely. When Marinette didn't do anything other than bob her head at his comment, he decided something was off about her. His usually open, friendly classmate was unusually silent today – on an ordinary day, she would try to make small talk or at least run away from him. His suspicions grew.

As the pair walked out of the school with the rest of their classmates, Adrien gripped her wrist, ignoring the small cry of surprise – Because it couldn't be from pain, could it? – and pulled her all the way to the park next to their school and pushed her down on a wooden bench. Large, bewildered bluebell eyes looked up at him as he ran a troubled hand through his hair, mussing it up thoroughly. He needed to talk to her, but how could he phrase it? It wasn't like he could just _say_ it, right?

A soft breeze whispered through the leaves of trees as the silence, and apprehension, grew between them.

 **A/N: So, what do you think? I've almost finished the next chapter, and I hope to get it up next week. Follows? Favourites? Reviews? Anyone?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow! Thank you** _ **so**_ **much to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed! I hope I can get the same amazing response to this chapter (hint, hint. XD)**

 **So this is the final chapter… I still feel it's kinda rushed. *shrugs*. Again, oh well. Hope you like it.** **J**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. Or anything you recognize.**

Marinette's P.O.V.

I couldn't stand the overwhelming silence anymore. "What is it, Adrien?" I cast my eyes downward, squeezing them shut for a brief second to try to get a hold on the screaming pain at my side from our impromptu detour. All I wanted to do right now is collapse on my bed next to Tikki and sleep, most preferably, for at least 10 hours, because the akuma attacks had increased lately, both in number and difficulty: it was as if Hawk-Moth had suddenly gotten desperate, for some reason. And –

I returned to Earth as a voice abruptly broke into my thoughts. "Look this isn't going to work unless you tell me what's wrong."

At the confusion that was evidently on my face, Adrien pressed on. "Why do you clam up when I'm around? Don't even try to deny it, Marinette. Why do you act like… that?" He eyed my stiff posture, hands clasped tightly in my lap. At my uncomprehending look, he threw his hands up into the air in frustration and blurted, "Why do you hate me so much?"

Uh, what?

I gaped, at a complete loss for words. Hate him? What on Earth did he mean? I floundered for a few more seconds, before making up my mind. Opening my mouth, I decided I was going to tell him the truth. Even if it meant we wouldn't get married and live happily ever after with two kids – no, three – and a hamster!

"Adrien, I –"

"No, Marinette, just let me finish!" interrupted Adrien, distressed to say the least. "I've seen how you behave around Alya, Nino and everyone else – you're all talkative and outgoing, but when I try to approach you, you change! You become quiet and jump at every noise that startles you – it's a complete 180! What have I done to make you act like this?" A look of horror crossed his face so suddenly, I almost couldn't keep up. "This isn't about the gum thing on my first day, is it?" he asked desperately.

I blinked, bemused. This definitely wasn't the Adrien I knew. The Adrien I knew and saw every day was quiet, polite, charming and composed. This boy was so much more than just that; – why hadn't I seen it before?

"– fault and –"

Ignoring the pain as I had been doing for the entire day, I stood, reaching up – since when was Adrien so tall? – to place my hands firmly on his shoulders, and, at the same time, effectively cutting him off.

"Shut up. You've got it all wrong. I don't hate you. I –" I paused. Was I really going to say it?

I didn't give myself any more time to think. So what if it ruined our friendship? Not that we were close friends in the first place – my crush thought I hated him, for goodness sake! So I had almost nothing to lose.

"Ihaveacrushonyou," I mumbled, face flaming. There. I had done it. What was going to happen? I braced myself for the reply. He was going to reject me, wasn't he? Oh god, oh god, I shouldn't have said it, what if he runs away?

While I was busy hyperventilating, Adrien stopped for a moment, confuzzled **(A/N: Confuzzled? Confuddled? Are they even proper words?)** then replied, very politely, "Um, excuse me?"

I took a deep breath, then exhaled quickly. He was honestly going to make me say it again? Fine. "I don't hate you. I have a crush on you. Ever since you gave me your umbrella, I've had a crush on you." I waited for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

"A crush on me?" he breathed, realization finally dawning.

My face probably very closely resembled a tomato now.

He jerked back in shock, and I stumbled, losing my balance and crashing to the ground. I gasped, stunned for a second before I felt it – the fire that raced up my side as the… cut was torn open, returning along with a terrible, burning agony.

"Marinette? What's wrong? Say something!" Adrien's worried voice grew fainter and fainter.

Keeping my screams inside as best as I could, I curled up into a protective ball, shaking hands pressing down on my bandages, which I could feel coming loose. I didn't care that I was probably ruining my second T-shirt in less than 24 hours; I didn't care that Adrien was seeing me, Ladybug, like this; all I wanted was for the pain, the suffering to stop. Mentally begging someone, anyone to rescue me from this version of my own, personal hell, I was grateful when the sweet relief that came with passing out finally reached for me.

The last thing that I could remember was thinking how similar this situation was to the one from last night, ironically.

Then, the darkness embraced me and I knew no more.

(Time skip)

When I next opened my eyes, it was to a vaguely familiar place, although I couldn't recall where I had seen it before, or why I was there. I was lying on a bed, my fingers unconsciously gripping the dark blue covers. A zip line stretched overhead from one corner of the room to another and an expensive-looking flat-screen TV and a pristine white sofa was dwarfed by the massive windows just beyond them and – wait a second, whose bedroom was this and _why was I lying on their bed_?!

I let out a small squeak of surprise, but it was more than enough to make someone, who I presumed was the owner of the bedroom, come hurrying over. A blurred flash of blond hair and wide, anxious green eyes bobbed at the edge of my vision. A warm hand snaked out to clutch mine, squeezing tightly.

"Are you alright?" came a voice I recognized. The voice paused, before adding on a word at the end, uncertainly and experimentally. "Milady?"

I relaxed immediately – I wasn't in danger; I was safe because Cat would always be at my side.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Cat. Where are we, anyway?" I rubbed a tired hand across my eyes, pausing at the sharp intake of breath I heard. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." It was definitely something, because otherwise Cat wouldn't be sounding like he was on the middle of being strangled. "And we're in my bedroom."

I took a few seconds to process that. When I did, one of my hands, which I realized was definitely _not_ covered in a red glove, automatically flew up to cover my eyes. The other was still in Cat's grasp – he was determinedly refusing to let go. " _WHAT?! Cat! Why am I in your room?_ " I shrieked, freaked, which was a _serious_ understatement.

Because I was quite sure this violated our rule of _"Never reveal your civilian identity to anyone."_

Cat's _ungloved_ hand tried to tug mine from my face, but I resisted. He sighed. "Come on, _Marinette_ , I already know who you are. You can look. In fact, I _want_ you to know who I am."

I stubbornly shook my head. What should I do? What should I do?! Oh, how I wished Tikki was here right now. On the one day she stayed at home, this just _had_ to happen! And all because of how stupid and reckless I had been in last night's battle. "But what about –"

"Hawk-Moth? He won't find out, and anyway, we can manage, Milady, right? Plus, it will be easier to contact each other." I somehow knew Cat was smirking, even with my eyes closed – I could feel it. " _Much_ easier."

"But –"

"Just trust me on this one, Mari," he said softly, pleadingly, and totally unlike Cat. "I promise you won't regret it."

I could feel my resolve crumbling away and cautiously peeked through my fingers. A mop of messy blond hair came into focus, followed by the anxious face of… Adrien Agreste?!

He managed to shoot a Cat-worthy smirk in my direction and it looked so out of place but at the same time, very reassuring, even with the worry dominating his eyes.

"Uh, surprise, I guess." He fidgeted apprehensively under my disbelieving gaze, suddenly unable, or unwilling to meet my eyes. "I'm really sorry, Ladybug."

I flinched at the sound of my superhero alter-ego's name coming from the mouth of my crush because this was just way too weird.

My voice suddenly returned, along with my ability to think.

"A-Adrien?" I voiced uncertainly, because I never would have imagined this awkward scenario, not even in my wildest dreams. Shaking my head fast enough to make me even woozier, I shut my eyes then opened them again. When Adrien didn't disappear, I convinced myself that this was real. This was backed up by the sting that was present in my side.

"This isn't a dream," I muttered disbelievingly. A look of pure panic flashed across Adrien – no, Cat's face as he started to talk again.

"I'm really, _really_ , sorry La – Mari. I know you didn't want us to know each other's identities, but this time was –"

As Adrien was rambling on, something occurred to me out of the blue. If my crush was Cat Noir, and I was Ladybug, and Ladybug – _me_ – was always turning down Cat for Adrien, who _was_ Cat… then didn't that mean we were in some sort of messed up love square? Was that even a thing? A wide smile slowly grew on my face, and soon I was trying hard to hold in my snickers.

"– I really hope you're not disappointed – what?" He broke off abruptly as he caught sight of my current situation. I let out a light laugh, of both mirth, and relief that Cat was Adrien, and Adrien was Cat. I wouldn't want it any other way.

"C'mere," I mumbled, tugging him down into a brief hug. He flailed for a second, startled, before, very gingerly, very carefully, returning the hug. "Shut up, you silly kitty. I'm really glad it's you," I whispered into his ear, refusing to let myself think about the fact that I was _hugging my crush_.

That was when he tightened his grip, and replied, "Me too, Marinette. Me too."

We stayed like that for another few minutes, both of us relishing the warmth of each other, and marvelling at how natural it all seemed, all awkwardness gone. Then, I gently let go and pushed myself up. Now that I looked around, I could see the white winding staircase which I knew led up to shelves of books and CDs. There were the wooden skateboard ramps which blocked my view of the basketball net and scoreboard and the door… which led to the bathroom. My face flamed, remembering the times I had walked in on Adrien having a 'shower'.

I was so absorbed that I was startled when I was pushed back down onto the bed. My side flared up again as I remembered the wound.

"Ow," I exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah. Which is why you should stay in bed," Adrien pointed out unnecessarily, shooting me a look as if to say 'Don't bother protesting, I'm not changing my mind.' He averted his gaze, a slight blush staining his cheeks as he said, "I, um, changed your bandages for you while you were unconscious, when I saw your old ones were coming undone. I hope you, er, don't mind."

At that moment, I was sure my face was going to be permanently bright red because Adrien changed my – no, I refused to think about it. But what if – no, I told myself firmly, stop it. And then I knew I was going crazy, because who had conversations with themselves? I blamed it on the pain.

Suddenly, a cry of "Plagg, claws out!" pierced the air and a bright green flash of light lit the entire room. When it died away, a beaming Cat Noir had replaced Adrien. I was stared, shocked, even though I knew I shouldn't be.

"Well, milady, I guess I'd better get you home." Without warning, he scooped me up bridal-style, like he had last night, careful not to jostle me too much.

"Hey," I protested immediately. "I can get home on my own. You don't have to do this."

He shook his head. "No, it's alright. My father isn't here – I want to enjoy the freedom as much as possible."

Oh yeah. Gabriel Agreste was… a little over-protective of Adrien so probably had to sneak out for patrol.

"But you won't be able to use your baton."

"I'll be fine." He shot me a roguish smile, a hint of his 'Cat' personality showing. "After all, a cat always lands on his feet."

I groaned. "Cat?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

That said, I looped my arms around his neck, feeling the vibrations in his chest as he laughed. My head nestled in the crook of his neck as I discreetly inhaled his faint scent of… well, himself. I couldn't believe how obvious it was – why hadn't I seen it before? All my worries – of being Ladybug, of saving Paris daily, on top of all my piled-up homework and designing – had disappeared, and all I felt was a deep sense of peace, because Cat was with me. And everything would be okay.

 _(Time skip)_

"Hey, Adrien? See that?"

We were lying on my balcony, staring up at the stars in the clear night sky.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" I asked dreamily. "Always there, bright beacons of hope for anyone who takes the time to look."

"They don't hold a candle to you, milady," came the immediate response.

I blushed a little before laughing lightly. "Don't joke around, Adrien. I was being serious."

A pause.

"And so was I."

My heart jumped. "You don't mean that."

He sat up so I copied him. Adrien turned to me earnestly. "But I was, Ladybug. You're beautiful, smart and bold."

I shook my head. "Exactly. That's _Ladybug_ ," I whispered, " _Marinette_ is clumsy, shy and can somehow trip over thin air."

He groaned in frustration. "You talk about it as if you're two different people! You're Ladybug, just as much as you are Marinette. They are both you, you just don't see it yet." His voice grew quieter. "But I do. And that's why I lo – like you." He had quickly changed his wording.

"Mari." My name was an almost inaudible breath on his lips. His brilliant green eyes flickered uncertainly from my eyes to my lips, then back to my eyes. They were piercing into my innermost thoughts and feelings, rendering me speechless with the sheer intensity of the gaze. I saw a deep radiant happiness, I saw hopefulness, and I saw – dare I say it? – an endless _love_. For _me_.

His gaze was questioning, so I nodded, a small timid yes. He didn't waste a second, tilting my chin up carefully with a light touch and slowly, deliberately slow to give me a chance to back out, leaned closer. His face was a centimetre from mine, when he paused, searching my eyes before brushing his lips tentatively across mine. That single touch made me gasp, my lips tingling from the contact. I wanted… I yearned for more.

Adrien must have detected that, because he flashed me a grin that made my heart stutter, then pressed his lips back to mine. This second kiss was more urgent and searching, yet so soft and sweet at the same time. His lips moved against mine with so much care, so much gentleness that I melted, like ice cream on a hot summer's day. I leaned into my crush, my partner, and most importantly, my _friend_. Or were we more than friends? I certainly hoped so.

But all too soon for me, the kiss ended. I leaned back.

"So, how was that, milady?"

Oh, so he was looking for a compliment now? I almost laughed, but still replied anyway. "Best thing I've done in my life. I have no regrets."

For the first time within the last few hours, I felt Adrien's anxiety vanish completely. I rested my head onto his chest and listened to his heartbeat. It carried a steady, comforting tempo, an anchor. His chest vibrated as he spoke.

"So, will you officially be my girlfriend?"

I smiled. "As if I could refuse after that."

He wrapped his arms around me and I didn't even blush. Instead, I snuggled up against him even more, his warmth enveloping me in a bear hug. I listened to the strong, steady 'thump-thump' of his heartbeat and let out a blissful sigh: this was how it was meant to be. And for the first time in a long while, I felt fully and truly happy.

But then, a thought struck me and I bolted upright.

"What is it?" my boyfriend asked.

I turned to him in horror. "Alya. She's gonna freak when she finds out!"

(Line Break **\- I think** )

And, somewhere in Paris, a sleepy Alya Césaire wakes up, sneezes, turns over… and goes back to sleep.

 **A/N: Yay! Finally finished! Ok, I'll admit, that last part is totally random and, most likely, copied from something I've read. The kiss… well, please keep in mind that I am** ** _thirteen years old_** **and have no experience in that particular area. XD. So what I've written was probably influenced by books I've read over the past few years, and if the kiss didn't have enough… erm… passion for you, I will remind you that Marinette and Adrien are supposed to be** ** _fourteen_** **. And I apologize again if they are OOC.**

 **That said, I want to thank you again for the support I've gotten, especially since this was the first story I had posted… anywhere, really. :)**

 **JudyWho**


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